Have you ever considered the absolute abundance of animal metaphors within business and financial jargon? Fat-cats, black swans, loan sharks, bull markets… In their strikingly illustrated “Bestiary of Business Terms”, journalists Dhruti Shah and Dominic Bailey take you on a veritable safari of examples.  Speaking with writer Micheal Rosen on his Radio 4 show “Word…

In the latest of a series of “fish rebranding campaigns”, megrim sole and spider crab will henceforth be known as “Cornish sole” and “Cornish king crab”. They’ve become the latest unfortunate sea creatures to undergo a rebrand, riding on the coattails of the Chilean seabass (formerly the Patagonian Toothfish) and the Orange Roughy (in a previous…

The local cardboard recycling bin seems to be constantly overflowing. If I ever walk past on the blessed day it’s been emptied, I return home to remove the small pile of packaging that’s undoubtedly been accumulating by the front door. I’m not particularly proud of this fact, but it certainly seems I’m not the only…

Do office buzzwords make you die a tiny bit on the inside? If so, it turns out you’re not the only one. According to a Get Response poll, cliché business terms can be in equal parts “annoying and exhausting”. Let’s unpack this a bit further by taking a holistic overview in order to really drill down on our feelings. Are your toes…

Whilst the first stirrings of Spring are a most welcome sight, the recent Beast from the East 2.0 was a chilly reminder of the difficulties facing wildlife during these tough winter months.  Winter feeding is particularly beneficial to birds as the temperatures plummet and food becomes hard to find. Many insect-eating birds also turn to…

As of February 1st 2021, the Isle of Man had no “unexplained” cases of Coronavirus in the community and its residents became free citizens once again.  They waved goodbye to masks and social distancing, and schools and businesses were reopened. In pictures of Douglas’ busy high street shoppers are arm in arm, pausing to browse window displays.…

As a small business owner, it can feel like you’re juggling multiple balls while balanced on the back of a tipsy elephant. Sales, project management, emails galore, logistics, customer service, accounts, HR, catching up with the team… but let’s not dwell on all that!  One of the big pluses? As a small business owner, you…

Video conferencing and remote working are damaging creative talent. Such is the opinion of global brand expert Martin Lindstrom. It’s something of a two-pronged attack, with both the intense schedules of Zoom calls and calendar invites and the unstimulating nature of home working up for debate. While remote working has proved a vital lifeline for…

Valentine’s day is no longer just “for lovers”. Whether this comes as a result of genuine inclusivity, and I do like to think so, or canny marketing, February 14th has become a day to celebrate any individual who brings joy to your life. A quick look online even reveals hampers of personalised Valentine’s dog biscuits…